Kisumu residents have called on the county government to fasttrack the completion of stalled projects across the county.
They said some of the projects have been incomplete for long, denying them opportunities to benefit from them.
Speaking at Kosawo hall in Kisumu East subcounty on Tuesday during the Huduma Mashinani which targets to improve service delivery, residents also demanded that action be taken against contractors delaying the projects.
Several issues emerged which include stalled projects, poor quality of projects and insecurity which those bestowed with responsibility responded to.
Residents, county and national officials agreed on collective responsibility to protect public resources and safeguard the gains made since the inception of devolution.
Joyce Adhiambo, a resident from Manyatta, decried delays on some of the county projects saying residents risk not getting value for money.
“We are paying taxes and want to benefit from these projects,” she said.
Peter Owuor, from Nyalenda B ward, raised concern over the quality of work by some contractors urging the county to take action. “Some of them are doing shoddy work which should not be allowed,” he said.
Odhiambo also wants the county to improve on service delivery especially in hospitals.
Magdalene Auma from Kolwa Central ward, cited a stalled ECD project which she wants the county government to expedite its completion.
“This project should be completed to benefit our children. It was budgeted for and should be well executed,” Auma said.
County executive for Public Service and county administration and participatory development Judith Oluoch said the county was committed to completing the projects.
She said only 20 per cent of the projects were incomplete with some nearing completion.
Oluoch however warned that the county government will not hesitate to terminate contracts of projects whose timeline have elapsed.
She said Huduma Mashinani which is centered on service delivery, allows citizens to raise issues that affect them.
"The initiative allows the county officers to directly respond to questions raised by the residents on matters which are affecting their day to day lives," she said.
Similar exercises have been conducted in Seme and Kisumu West subcounties which enable residents to express their views on governance.
“We have some of the completed projects being vandalised while residents have also not occupied them, especially certain markets which they prioritise during public participation before implementation,” Oluoch said.
She said some of the incomplete projects stalled many years ago but the county government has made efforts to complete them.
For instance, in the public service docket, she said there are four projects which were incomplete in various subcounties that have now been completed.
“These delay is occasioned by many factors and in some cases you find local contractors were awarded tender but didn't complete the projects,” Oluoch said.
The incomplete projects, she said, make the county pending bills be very cumulative.
Oluoch said the county government has been terminating contracts of those unable to complete the projects within the stipulated timeline.
“The moment we terminate these projects we start procurement again thereby delaying them. But our objective is to complete the projects to avoid them going to pending bills,” she added.
Oluoch said there are those projects which must be undertaken by residents that must go through a competitive process, pegged on the value of the project.
“We are appealing to our people that if they don’t have resources to undertake these projects they should not bother to apply for such tenders,” Oluoch said.
The local contractors who have no capacity to undertake the projects which require massive funding should keep off.
County executive for Trade and Tourism Farida Salim regretted that traders have failed to occupy some completed markets such as Kowino.
“Why would you go for a public participation, identify the project you want to implement then it gets budgeted for and after execution you refuse to trade inside the market?” she posed.
Salim said it is not economically viable when traders fail to make good use of the market.
The executive warned that action will be taken against those who fail to occupy the markets. “It is either they get into the markets and trade or stringent enforcement will be undertaken,” she added.
Salim said it is not safe for traders to operate along the road risking their lives.
“The traders who are not occupying their spaces stand the disadvantage of forfeiting their spaces or being forced to move out of the undesignated areas,” she said.